


Nostalgia

by foundyouforever



Category: Marble Hornets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 11:07:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1224016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foundyouforever/pseuds/foundyouforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A (sort of) part 2 for my previous work, "What was I expecting?"<br/>Focuses mainly on Tim and his life leading up to meeting Alex Kralie, and a very short bit of what happens after the events of "What was I expecting?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nostalgia

**Author's Note:**

> Contains spoilers up to at least Entry #82

       Tim was used to being alone.

       Ever since he was a child, he was isolated from anyone who could've potentially been a friend. Even before being admitted to the hospital, he remained isolated from anyone other than his parents, but not even they were people Tim could've considered himself to be close to. He knew from the beginning that his admittance to the hospital was their fault, and that turned into resentment toward them as he grew up. He didn't see them often when he was in the hospital, but when he did, he made sure to hide any negative feelings toward them. After all, he could almost see why they did it.

       When the hospital burned down, Tim was 14. His parents opted to let him stay with them rather then send him to another facility, to Tim's relief and dismay. He was glad he didn't have to go to another hospital, but wasn't fond of the idea of having to live with his parents again. Fortunately, he was able to tolerate it. He learned to communicate with them better, and most importantly, he learned this his suspicions were wrong, and that they weren't bad people after all. He still didn't fully trust them, and found himself walking on eggshells when he was with them to avoid raising any suspicion that could lead to him being sent to another hospital. He learned to hide any anger or sadness from them, and he learned to willingly put himself into situations where he may be forced to spend time with them.

       He got his first paying job at 16. There was an older couple who owned a farm not far from where he lived, and they paid him to come over and help out with anything that they may have needed help with on that particular day. They taught him much of what practical knowledge he has, such as how to drive (including tractors and other heavy machinery), how to take proper care of animals, and so on. He worked five days a week there, and they paid him well. Nearly every penny of what he earned there was put in a savings account for when he turned 18 so that he could move out and hopefully go to college. That was the first time Tim truly enjoyed what he was doing. It was hard work, and every day he went home tired and sore, but he didn't care. He was happy.

       He was nearly 18 when the man he was working for told him that his help was no longer needed. It was sudden; Tim had shown up for work that day as usual, but when he knocked on the door that morning, the old man and his wife invited him inside and sat him down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. Tim was confused; they'd offered him breakfast every morning (he'd never accepted) but this was different. He asked if something was wrong, and the old man smiled sadly and explained to him that he was simply too old to keep this farm up and running. He and his wife had decided that they were going to sell it, and likely move somewhere up north. Tim was devastated, and the old man knew, but there was nothing that could be done. Tim had considered that man to be more of a father to him than his real father ever was. So on the day that the old man and his wife were set to leave, Tim stopped by their house to say goodbye. He hugged them both, and tears were shed, but it was bittersweet. He hated to see them go, but he knew they were old and wanted to spend the rest of their lives in comfort, without the stress of running a farm.

       Three months after he turned 18, he left. After the old couple had moved, he'd done his best to pick up odd jobs around to area to earn as much money as he could. He finally found a stable job as a gas station clerk, and it wasn't nearly as good as his job before, but it paid significantly better, although the hours were awful. But that little boost of income was enough to allow him to find an apartment well within his budget and move out. It was a teary goodbye from his parents, even after explaining that he would just be in the next town over, but that was it. That chapter of his life was done.

       He met Brian a couple of weeks after he started college. He had a class with him since the beginning, but for the most part, Tim kept to himself. Brian must've taken that to mean he was lonely, so the moment the professor assigned a project requiring a partner, Brian was at Tim's side. Tim suggested meeting at the library, and they did the first few times they met up to work on the project, but eventually Brian began insisting on more unconventional locations to work, such as cafes or parks, and eventually, Brian's house. Tim didn't want to admit that that was the first time he'd been over to a friends house, but that visit ended with no work being done on the project, but several different video games played. Eventually, they did finish the project before the deadline, and Tim expected Brian to leave him alone again. But he didn't. He still called and invited him out to lunch and to his house whenever he got a new game he wanted to try out.

       They'd been friends for several months when the usual call from Brian turned into something unexpected. Brian explained that a guy from one of his classes, Alex Kralie, was working on a movie and needed some actors. They had talked about majors and whatnot over the last few months, and Tim had expressed interest in some sort of acting or drama major, but he'd never expected to go through with it, but it was so considerate of Brian to think of him for the opportunity, he couldn't pass it up, especially since Brian, apparently, was starring in it. He told Brian he was in, and that's when Tim's life began to fall apart, piece by piece.

* * *

 

       Now, Tim sits alone in a motel room, staring at a blank wall. Jay is gone.

       Tim had lost friends before, but losing Jay was nothing like he'd felt before. Jay understood him. Jay knew what he was going through, which was something he would've never been able to tell Brian. Brian tried to understand what Tim had gone through as a child, but Brian was all optimism and goofy grins and just radiated happiness, and he tried to understand how Tim felt, he truly did, but he just couldn't. Jay, however, knew exactly what he was feeling. Jay shared that feeling of hopelessness and fear at their situation, but at least then, Tim knew that he wasn't alone. He and Jay weren't the best of friends, but they were close enough.

       It was nearly 10 P.M. when his cellphone started ringing. Initially, Tim was afraid. It'd been a few months since he last changed his number. He looked down at his phone and unsurprisingly, he didn't recognize the number. He ignored it. It stopped for about 30 seconds before it began to ring again. Checking it, he realized it was the same number from before. He knew there were only two options: it was either a wrong number, or it was someone who wanted nothing more than to make his life a true living hell. He was shaking. He didn't know why he was scared; wrong numbers happen all the time.

       Holding the phone up to his ear, he remembered: only two options. Speak to a confused stranger, or speak to an enemy.

       _"Hello?"_

       Only two options.

       Tim had never been so happy to have been wrong in his entire life.

**Author's Note:**

> I suppose I'll just leave it off there...?  
> I could probably continue this if I wanted to, but I'm not sure.


End file.
